


We're Both a Little Different

by tearoseglasses



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 3
Genre: Im not going to say otherwise, M/M, aint perfect, and bonded, and i finished it up tonight, but its fine, butch and LW catch up, hmm. this is completely self indulgent, i just wanted to write something with him, vaguely inspired by a conversation i had with my friend, we both realized how fucked up a mutual experience was
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:08:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25028242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tearoseglasses/pseuds/tearoseglasses
Relationships: Butch DeLoria/Male Lone Wanderer
Kudos: 18





	We're Both a Little Different

"Come on, Butch, you're not ten anymore." Ezra sighs, walking away from Butch, and out the doors of the bar. Why'd he think Butch would be different? Who the fuck knows. He pulls himself into a small shack he'd managed to save up enough for, flipping on a dim light. 

He looks at the door as knocking raps the sheet metal. 

"Ezra, I'm sorry, okay? Old habits die hard, you know?"

Ezra pulls the door open, moving in a welcoming gesture. Butch hesitantly walks in. 

"This is yours?"

"Yeah. Gob helped me out by convincing Moriarty to let me work some odd jobs, but yeah. This is mine."

"I... I really am sorry. For all the shit."

"Yeah, don't sweat it, Tunnel Snake." Ezra smiles slightly as Butch brightens up at the sight of the worn leather jacket, art now revealed with the loss of Ezra's pack. 

"You still have the jacket."

"Yeah. Thanks for it. I was getting shot at the time, so I didn't really get to say thanks."

"Looks like it's served you well." He glances down at the worn, ripped up edges. Everything about Ezra was worn and ripped up. 

"It has."

"You deserved it more than me."

"We all have our fears, Butch." Ezra drops down onto a couch, patting the open seat next to him. Butch sits down after a moment. 

"Yeah? What's yours, Ezra?"

"Mine already happened." 

"Ever find your dad?"

"Yeah. But he died. At least he died where he was born." 

"What do you mean?"

"Oh. Neither of us were originally from the vault. He moved us in there after I was born."

"So all that shit about you’re born, you live, and you die?"

"It's all lies, Butch." Ezra watches a few different emotions flash through Butch's eyes. 

"Fucking Vaults."

"Fucking vaults." Ezra nods in agreement. "Oh. I have something for you." Ezra bends over, reaching into his bag, pulling out a small parcel. He hands it to Butch. Butch looks at it curiously before opening it. His eyes widened. 

"A sweet roll?"

"A sweet roll." Ezra nods before leaning back and closing his eyes. 

"Here." He opens his eyes to half of the roll directly in his face, Butch holding it out but not looking at him. Ezra takes it and both enjoy the treat in silence. Butch looks at Ezra as he crumples up the piece of paper and throws it away. "Ezra?"

"Yeah?"

"Look at me." Ezra looks at him, a slightly confused look evident. This wasn't the same nerd he'd push around. The nerdiness was still present and exacerbated by the books scattered around the shack. But there was something new in Ezra now. He could shoot a gun straighter than he cared to admit and knew the ins and outs of a war-worn city no one dared to go into. Butch lifts a hand, brushing away a few crumbs. 

"You had crumbs on your face."

"Oh." Ezra brushed off his face, ears peeking through his hair, bight red. Butch looks at him again, lifting his hand once again. Ezra clears his throat. "I missed some?"

"A few."

"Whe-mmph-!" Ezra's eyes widen as Butch presses his lips to Ezra's, hand holding his chin. Butch runs his tongue over Ezra's lips before pulling away. He gives Ezra another look over. 

"You're all good now, babe."

Ezra barely moves more than a small nod. "T-thanks."

"Ezra?"

"Ye-yep?"

"I'm gonna do that again." Butch leans over on him, barely two inches away from Ezra. Ezra stares at him, eyes flicking over Butch's face. Ezra leans forward. Butch smiles into the kiss. It's clumsy. They are after all just two idiot twenty-year-olds. Butch had kissed people before. Ezra had never had the time. Butch pushes himself upwards, pulling away. Ezra grins and laughs a bit. 

"What?"

"Last time you touched my lip, it was to give me a bloody one."

"You're remembering that now? Of all times? Now?"

"Shut up, it's just a memory."

"Yeah. Well, that doesn't mean I don't feel bad about it." Butch sits up. Ezra leans on his elbows, smiling softly.

"You could make it up to me now?" He leans forward further. Butch slowly loses the gap, reaching his hands to push off Ezra's jacket. The jacket's abandoned on the floor, a second soon joining it. They break for a moment to pull off their shirts. Butch runs a finger down a long scar on Ezra's chest. 

"What happened?'

"When I first left the vault and went to GNR to find my dad, I had to help them out a bit. My job was to go get a satellite dish from a museum and take it to some Brotherhood knights. When I was in the museum, a mutant found me and cut me up pretty good before I was able to smash his head in."

Butch stares down at him for a moment. "How the fuck have you survived out here? You didn't even know how to fistfight."

"Oh, my dad taught me how to fight once I turned 10. And I do know how to fistfight. I just don't go around challenging people. Like someone." 

"Shut up." Butch presses another kiss to Ezra's lips. Ezra smiles.

"We're both a little different now, huh."

"Sure."


End file.
